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Destroyermen #6
Firestorm
Lieutenant Commander Matthew Reddy and the crew of the USS Walker find themselves caught between the nation they swore to defend and the allies they promised to protect. For even as the Allies and the Empire of New Britain Isles stand united against the attacks of both the savage Grik and the tenacious Japanese, the "Holy Dominion"-a warped mixture of human cultures whose lust for power overshadows even the Grik-is threatening to destroy them both with a devastating weapon neither can withstand.
422 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
June 16, 2020
Now a lengthy two front war
The war has become a long-term two front war and a short-term three front war. Even as the allies grow stronger and improve their weapons, the Grik have new weapons developed by their Japanese allies. Even the Doms present a surprise weapon. This appears to be developing into a lengthy, nearly world war stretching from East Africa, India, and Ceylon to Hawaii and the western portions of North and South America.
The war has become a long-term two front war and a short-term three front war. Even as the allies grow stronger and improve their weapons, the Grik have new weapons developed by their Japanese allies. Even the Doms present a surprise weapon. This appears to be developing into a lengthy, nearly world war stretching from East Africa, India, and Ceylon to Hawaii and the western portions of North and South America.
August 26, 2016
What a fun and unique little series this has been. This is the 6th book in the series. I think it has helped me to read them in order. Even though the author brings some resolution at the end of each installment, I'm not getting lost even though things tend to move quickly. The sad thing is.....is that my library doesn't have the rest of this series on audio (there are 5 more.) What the heck!!
This book felt a little more complex as the original characters are being spread kind of thin on the war front and plus, many have died. But there are always more characters...not necessarily human...but still, there are more. And they are all well drawn. The best part for me is the good vs. evil drama that plays out in each one. I loved the battle.
I will say that this one seemed more violent and graphic then I remember the others being. But this author is such a great storyteller. Now I just need to see how to get my hands on the next 5.
This book felt a little more complex as the original characters are being spread kind of thin on the war front and plus, many have died. But there are always more characters...not necessarily human...but still, there are more. And they are all well drawn. The best part for me is the good vs. evil drama that plays out in each one. I loved the battle.
I will say that this one seemed more violent and graphic then I remember the others being. But this author is such a great storyteller. Now I just need to see how to get my hands on the next 5.
February 16, 2024
If you've read any of the Destroyermen books (and there's no point in beginning with this book if you haven't read its predecessors), then this is everything you've come to expect from the series. In fact, I haven't bothered to review books 2-5 largely because the quality, tone, and general feel of the books doesn't vary much from one to the next. The biggest change is that while the first few books reminded me of Burroughs and his lost worlds (with their focus on the U.S.S. Walker's efforts to save the cat-monkey-people Lemurians against the depredations of the lizard-y Grik), the last couple books have bent more towards Turtledove or Stirling with their alternate history human civilizations (the New British Imperials and the Aztec-Catholic Holy Dominion). Anyway, in Firestorm the world grows larger as the action moves to Saaylon and the New British colonies on the west coast of North America as the American-Lemurian Alliance against the Grik/Jap menace is forced to confront the Holy Dominion's threat to their new allies, the New British Empire. As you'd expect from a Destroyermen book, the march of martial progress sees both sides introducing new technologies and techniques and Anderson's characters rise to the occasion with their usual (but enjoyable) blend of courage, innovation, and sacrifice. That said, there are three primary weaknesses particular to Firestorm. The first is that the biggest shocker of the book is revealed on the cover (somebody slap the artist, especially since the U.S.S. Walker doesn't actually fight the 'cause it's on the other side of the world at the time). The second is that Anderson feels the need to repeat a LOT of information with each of his books, reminding the reader about characters' back stories and major involvements in the series to date (if I had a nickel for every time he's explained that Chack was formerly a staunch pacifist before the Grik invaded); this is actually a problem in books 2-5 as well, but since I didn't review any of them, I felt I ought to mention it here (interestingly, Anderson actually tones this down in book 7 (kudos to his editor)). Unlike my review of the first book, I'm not going to harp on the issue of convenience because frankly, either you've drunk the kool-aid and embraced the "A-Team montage" tech/social development that parallels the war effort (and admittedly, it is fun watching them try and cobble together a better mouse trap (so to speak)) or you quit on this series a long time ago. No, my issue is the and Anderson's sadly generous depiction of their effectiveness, particularly given his impressive grasp of naval warfare and the abilities/limitations of associated technologies. To elucidate without going into too much detail, ... digression over. Anyway, in spite of these issues, Mr. Anderson continues to develop a fascinating world and an intriguing and challenging war for his dauntless crew of heroes.
March 28, 2016
You could easily retitle this book "And then." For example:
-And then...they sent an expedition to South Africa!
-And then...there were Dominion troops hidden in the woods!
-And then...they mounted guns on their reconnaisance planes!
-And then...ZEPPELINS!!
The zeppelins are especially important, because now we really know it's alternate history.
I know that "and then" could be used as a description of the way any plot-driven book is structured, but Firestorm really brings it to the fore. It mostly seems like a bridge between Rising Tides and Iron Gray Sea--and now that I think about it, I think Rising Tides would have been a much better title for this book--that's a continuing series of oneupmanship between the Grand Alliance, the Grik Empire, and the Dominion. The Grand Alliance uses one trick, the the Grik come up with something, then the Grand Alliance comes up with something to counter it, then the Grik surprise everyone and use a new strategy, etc., and the same thing for the Grand Alliance and the Dominion.
In that way, the book is pretty predictable, because every time the Grik or the Grand Alliance (despite featuring prominently in the action, the Dominion has basically no viewpoint time in the book) come up with a new plan to overcome their enemies, it's obvious that the other side is going to come up with a new plan to top that, and then after they deploy that plan, their opponents are going to come up with a new plan, in an endless cycle of repetition. However, that does make the book exciting, and I found myself caught with two conflicting imperatives. On the one hand, when I wasn't actively reading Firestorm, I wasn't really that interested in picking it up again, but when I was reading it, I found myself eagerly devouring it with the aim towards finding out what the next scheme was.
The worldbuilding continues to be a major bright spot, and one of the reasons I like the Destroyermen series so much is seeing exactly how much has changed from Earth and how those changes have cascaded into butterfly effects. I was especially interested in the scraps of info Firestorm gave about the fauna of the Americas, which even in the brief description of the megafauna, sounds very different than the primarily lizard- and dinosauroid-based life we've seen up until this point. I could put up with a lot to see what new things the crew of the Walker will discover next, and this book didn't require me to put up with too much.
Unfortunately, that statement applies two ways, and I think that's why I wasn't that fond of the ending. I suspect the whole book is basically one long buildup to Iron Gray Sea, and in terms of plot, not all that much happens. Ceylon gets invaded, but the Grand Alliance doesn't make it to India. New Ireland is retaken, but the war doesn't push all the way to the Dominion. The ending is just another big AND THEN!!!! with a lot of treading water and minimal forward movement. It reminds me of Lord of Chaos, honestly, where if you dial down to the details, there are a lot of things that happen, but it's mostly a lot of bouncing around between character viewpoints and little overall plot advancement. I can only hope this isn't the beginning of a slide that ends in, to pick the worst of all possible worlds, Tom Kratman having to finish the Destroyermen series after Anderson's death. Then we'd learn that the real reason the Grik are so psychotically evil is because travelers from our world converted them is Islam.
Although, I guess the Grik are kind of Communist, and the Grand Alliance did just introduce gold-backed currency...
It's a workmanlike entry in the series, but I'm glad Iron Grey Sea is already out and I don't have to wait to read it.
-And then...they sent an expedition to South Africa!
-And then...there were Dominion troops hidden in the woods!
-And then...they mounted guns on their reconnaisance planes!
-And then...ZEPPELINS!!
The zeppelins are especially important, because now we really know it's alternate history.
I know that "and then" could be used as a description of the way any plot-driven book is structured, but Firestorm really brings it to the fore. It mostly seems like a bridge between Rising Tides and Iron Gray Sea--and now that I think about it, I think Rising Tides would have been a much better title for this book--that's a continuing series of oneupmanship between the Grand Alliance, the Grik Empire, and the Dominion. The Grand Alliance uses one trick, the the Grik come up with something, then the Grand Alliance comes up with something to counter it, then the Grik surprise everyone and use a new strategy, etc., and the same thing for the Grand Alliance and the Dominion.
In that way, the book is pretty predictable, because every time the Grik or the Grand Alliance (despite featuring prominently in the action, the Dominion has basically no viewpoint time in the book) come up with a new plan to overcome their enemies, it's obvious that the other side is going to come up with a new plan to top that, and then after they deploy that plan, their opponents are going to come up with a new plan, in an endless cycle of repetition. However, that does make the book exciting, and I found myself caught with two conflicting imperatives. On the one hand, when I wasn't actively reading Firestorm, I wasn't really that interested in picking it up again, but when I was reading it, I found myself eagerly devouring it with the aim towards finding out what the next scheme was.
The worldbuilding continues to be a major bright spot, and one of the reasons I like the Destroyermen series so much is seeing exactly how much has changed from Earth and how those changes have cascaded into butterfly effects. I was especially interested in the scraps of info Firestorm gave about the fauna of the Americas, which even in the brief description of the megafauna, sounds very different than the primarily lizard- and dinosauroid-based life we've seen up until this point. I could put up with a lot to see what new things the crew of the Walker will discover next, and this book didn't require me to put up with too much.
Unfortunately, that statement applies two ways, and I think that's why I wasn't that fond of the ending. I suspect the whole book is basically one long buildup to Iron Gray Sea, and in terms of plot, not all that much happens. Ceylon gets invaded, but the Grand Alliance doesn't make it to India. New Ireland is retaken, but the war doesn't push all the way to the Dominion. The ending is just another big AND THEN!!!! with a lot of treading water and minimal forward movement. It reminds me of Lord of Chaos, honestly, where if you dial down to the details, there are a lot of things that happen, but it's mostly a lot of bouncing around between character viewpoints and little overall plot advancement. I can only hope this isn't the beginning of a slide that ends in, to pick the worst of all possible worlds, Tom Kratman having to finish the Destroyermen series after Anderson's death. Then we'd learn that the real reason the Grik are so psychotically evil is because travelers from our world converted them is Islam.
Although, I guess the Grik are kind of Communist, and the Grand Alliance did just introduce gold-backed currency...
It's a workmanlike entry in the series, but I'm glad Iron Grey Sea is already out and I don't have to wait to read it.
February 4, 2014
This book allowed for more depth of character as we get to know Silva better... and that's what we call an adventure right there... we get to know more about the supporting cast. Anderson's series is spread between Hawaii, as far north as Japan and China and as far south as Indonesia.
The technology boom in Baalkpon is in full gear and the hairy scary lizards (who really aren't lizards) are in retreat. Jim Ellis has a chip on his shoulder and the army is growing, training and able to kick some seroius booty!
Rebecca is a wonderful addition to the story, firey, strong willed, young and ...already been through a lot. Sandra Tucker, lovely as a Betty Crocker Housewife in a a little black dress and Tabby and the mice have to break up... what's with them anyways? (more great characters). Lots of action, ship to ship combat, guns blazing and somebody needs to learn how to duck.
Oh, and Silva's on a mission from God...
... ahem....
... Yeah, I thought that was a hoot too. (Laughed so hard I almost wrecked my car.) Silva's just one of those characters that borders on realistic but is just too much fun to not enjoy.
4 stars, consistantly good, the only reasons for not giving five is that this book is less combat and more transitional to the next phase of Anderson's story. It's good, fun, and necessary, just not as fun as the books behind it, or the ones coming up. Still with all things being relative, a mediocre Destroyerman book is as good as a great book from most other series.
More fun reading.
The technology boom in Baalkpon is in full gear and the hairy scary lizards (who really aren't lizards) are in retreat. Jim Ellis has a chip on his shoulder and the army is growing, training and able to kick some seroius booty!
Rebecca is a wonderful addition to the story, firey, strong willed, young and ...already been through a lot. Sandra Tucker, lovely as a Betty Crocker Housewife in a a little black dress and Tabby and the mice have to break up... what's with them anyways? (more great characters). Lots of action, ship to ship combat, guns blazing and somebody needs to learn how to duck.
Oh, and Silva's on a mission from God...
... ahem....
... Yeah, I thought that was a hoot too. (Laughed so hard I almost wrecked my car.) Silva's just one of those characters that borders on realistic but is just too much fun to not enjoy.
4 stars, consistantly good, the only reasons for not giving five is that this book is less combat and more transitional to the next phase of Anderson's story. It's good, fun, and necessary, just not as fun as the books behind it, or the ones coming up. Still with all things being relative, a mediocre Destroyerman book is as good as a great book from most other series.
More fun reading.
January 16, 2018
At this point, if you're still reading the Destroymen, you're pretty well committed. Wish I had a more profound review beyond "I liked it".
A few twists and turns, but nothing thats earth-shattering given the setup and events that occurred in the past books.
A few twists and turns, but nothing thats earth-shattering given the setup and events that occurred in the past books.
August 6, 2016
I really like this series, but this book tended to get bogged down a bit in the battle details. Wasn't as character driven as earlier books, which I felt dragged it down. Cover is pretty misleading. Kept waiting for the dirigibles to show up, which doesn't happen till the very end, and is pretty anti-climatic considering it's prominence on the cover. Also kind of spoiled the "surprise" of their appearance in the book.
July 17, 2022
[3.8 stars, I really liked it, might read the series again]
Firestorm continues the saga where humans on ships from WW II and other eras have gone through a storm to end up on the seas of an Earth where intelligent species have evolved on two branches of life - reptilian and the primates. War is going on there too. The Grik, one of the reptilian species, are hunting down the Lemurians (primates), and both have learned from previous human incursions, such as a lost East Indiamen fleet from hundreds of years before - the Grik picked up English and ship construction, and the Lemurians picked up Latin, cartography, and religion.
USS Walker, a WWII destroyer and other ships had engaged the battleship IJN Amagi before entering the fateful squall, and though being separated for a time, each choose sides in the ongoing war and meet again. The amalgamation of ship types within the fleets is bizarre, from oil-powered screw propeller ships to coal-powered paddle-wheels to sailing vessels of many types, all mixing it up in battles.
Now, in this episode, enemies and friends are multiplying, and the industrial bases of the new Earth are ramping up with odd mixes of technology, leading to surprising encounters on both sides.
Initially this series appeared to be a straight-forward good-vs-evil exposition with sides chosen based on 1950s prejudices. Yet many subtleties have developed and in reality, even from the first novel, has shown how easily societies can be dominated by the 1%. The 1% on either end of the spectrum have devoted followers - those who don't consider the odds or what other people think, and then there is the middle, with both good and bad actors, but basically apathetic people whose concerns for what other people think or their own comfort who in the end do what is expedient.
With many separate societies, Taylor Anderson in this series comes up with a great many situations that illustrate how the 1% end up dominating over different groups, and in the process, slowly wears down the prejudices of the "people" involved by showing them that good and evil are not intrinsic to species or culture, and that change is possible - at least some of the time.
Religious conflict continues to seethe below the surface - the transition from Sun worship to monotheism has been hastened by the importation of multiple variants of Christianity, some of which have been severely distorted.
Anderson has created a number of memorable characters - from Dennis Silva, Laurence, and Princess Rebecca, to Chak-Sab-At and Safir Maraan, to Kurokawa and Shinya, the mice, and many more. Each is the essence of some trait distilled down, not the normal mix of characteristics, so they are larger than life.
I was disappointed that the Coke machine seems to have disappeared.
Firestorm continues the saga where humans on ships from WW II and other eras have gone through a storm to end up on the seas of an Earth where intelligent species have evolved on two branches of life - reptilian and the primates. War is going on there too. The Grik, one of the reptilian species, are hunting down the Lemurians (primates), and both have learned from previous human incursions, such as a lost East Indiamen fleet from hundreds of years before - the Grik picked up English and ship construction, and the Lemurians picked up Latin, cartography, and religion.
USS Walker, a WWII destroyer and other ships had engaged the battleship IJN Amagi before entering the fateful squall, and though being separated for a time, each choose sides in the ongoing war and meet again. The amalgamation of ship types within the fleets is bizarre, from oil-powered screw propeller ships to coal-powered paddle-wheels to sailing vessels of many types, all mixing it up in battles.
Now, in this episode, enemies and friends are multiplying, and the industrial bases of the new Earth are ramping up with odd mixes of technology, leading to surprising encounters on both sides.
Initially this series appeared to be a straight-forward good-vs-evil exposition with sides chosen based on 1950s prejudices. Yet many subtleties have developed and in reality, even from the first novel, has shown how easily societies can be dominated by the 1%. The 1% on either end of the spectrum have devoted followers - those who don't consider the odds or what other people think, and then there is the middle, with both good and bad actors, but basically apathetic people whose concerns for what other people think or their own comfort who in the end do what is expedient.
With many separate societies, Taylor Anderson in this series comes up with a great many situations that illustrate how the 1% end up dominating over different groups, and in the process, slowly wears down the prejudices of the "people" involved by showing them that good and evil are not intrinsic to species or culture, and that change is possible - at least some of the time.
Religious conflict continues to seethe below the surface - the transition from Sun worship to monotheism has been hastened by the importation of multiple variants of Christianity, some of which have been severely distorted.
Anderson has created a number of memorable characters - from Dennis Silva, Laurence, and Princess Rebecca, to Chak-Sab-At and Safir Maraan, to Kurokawa and Shinya, the mice, and many more. Each is the essence of some trait distilled down, not the normal mix of characteristics, so they are larger than life.
I was disappointed that the Coke machine seems to have disappeared.
June 28, 2017
Once again, Anderson's skill at crafting battles has outdone itself. Where the previous book had the largest naval battle to date, Firestorm boasts one of the largest land battles of the series. The "other" world war now in full swing has heated up to a fiery crescendo. The Battle of New Ireland island against the blood-thirsty psuedo-Catholics, the Dominion, was an intense war of its own spread over four cities, harbors, mountains and forests. The Allies were put to the test in urban combat for the first time, as well as finally meeting resistance in the skies above, both there and especially on the seas.
Best of all, though, was Dennis Silva at his most absolutely relentless finest. His becoming the first long-range sniper of the war, if even just the one time, has cemented him as favorite character for sure. This book rarely ever let up from the intense struggles of the building, two-front conflict. I could go on about some of the other big things happening, but I'll just end up giving away the good stuff. Absolutely worth continuing the series.
Best of all, though, was Dennis Silva at his most absolutely relentless finest. His becoming the first long-range sniper of the war, if even just the one time, has cemented him as favorite character for sure. This book rarely ever let up from the intense struggles of the building, two-front conflict. I could go on about some of the other big things happening, but I'll just end up giving away the good stuff. Absolutely worth continuing the series.
March 21, 2021
Read this review (and others) at: https://literatureislife.com/2021/03/...
And now we’re on to the next inevitable phase of any war series, fighting on multiple fronts. The Grik are still out there but the Dominion have proven themselves to also be a threat. Despite that, we really don’t get a lot of the Dominion’s POV just yet. That’s still focused mainly on the Alliance and occasionally the Grik. One of the big things in Firestorm is the escalation of war. We start to see each side building bigger, stronger, and more devastating weapons. Everyone is getting better at fighting from experience as the infusion of new technology rapidly grows the war machine on both sides.
Things are also getting more and more split up at this point, with the POV still jumping between characters. I expect it to stay that way for the rest of this series, or at least until the war wraps up on one front. That being said, a lot of Firestorm is dedicated to build-up. As opposed to another giant battle here, we more see the work going towards the next one. This also leaves lots of time for worldbuilding, which is always nice. Worldbuilding has really slowed down to make way for the war so it’s great to see Anderson’s world explored again.
Part of me wants to say Firestorm has lots of “twists and turns”, but there aren’t really any twists. It’s just the turns. A lot happens with the story jumping around to resolve existing plotlines and get new ones going. If you’re familiar with war stories, it’s all fairly predictable. Especially war stories where new weapons are constantly introduced, which seems more common in sci-fi settings. But I don’t think anyone is reading Destroyermen expecting Herbert-level quality, so it continues to be the same campy fun.
Now, one thing I do have to complain about is the Spoiler Cover. Look, I know that this is somewhat passable for well-known pop culture references. No one complains that the cover for Free Willy shows him jumping over the rocks. But while Destroyermen is a lot of good things, well-known to the general public is not one of them. The zeppelins on the cover are supposed to be a big twist at the end of the book. They’re the purported Grik super-weapon that the book builds up to in a “surprise!” moment. But they’re just right there on the front cover. So, not so much a surprise.
That one major complaint non-withstanding, Firestorm is another good entry in a fun sci-fi alternate history series. Looking forward to the next one.
And now we’re on to the next inevitable phase of any war series, fighting on multiple fronts. The Grik are still out there but the Dominion have proven themselves to also be a threat. Despite that, we really don’t get a lot of the Dominion’s POV just yet. That’s still focused mainly on the Alliance and occasionally the Grik. One of the big things in Firestorm is the escalation of war. We start to see each side building bigger, stronger, and more devastating weapons. Everyone is getting better at fighting from experience as the infusion of new technology rapidly grows the war machine on both sides.
Things are also getting more and more split up at this point, with the POV still jumping between characters. I expect it to stay that way for the rest of this series, or at least until the war wraps up on one front. That being said, a lot of Firestorm is dedicated to build-up. As opposed to another giant battle here, we more see the work going towards the next one. This also leaves lots of time for worldbuilding, which is always nice. Worldbuilding has really slowed down to make way for the war so it’s great to see Anderson’s world explored again.
Part of me wants to say Firestorm has lots of “twists and turns”, but there aren’t really any twists. It’s just the turns. A lot happens with the story jumping around to resolve existing plotlines and get new ones going. If you’re familiar with war stories, it’s all fairly predictable. Especially war stories where new weapons are constantly introduced, which seems more common in sci-fi settings. But I don’t think anyone is reading Destroyermen expecting Herbert-level quality, so it continues to be the same campy fun.
Now, one thing I do have to complain about is the Spoiler Cover. Look, I know that this is somewhat passable for well-known pop culture references. No one complains that the cover for Free Willy shows him jumping over the rocks. But while Destroyermen is a lot of good things, well-known to the general public is not one of them. The zeppelins on the cover are supposed to be a big twist at the end of the book. They’re the purported Grik super-weapon that the book builds up to in a “surprise!” moment. But they’re just right there on the front cover. So, not so much a surprise.
That one major complaint non-withstanding, Firestorm is another good entry in a fun sci-fi alternate history series. Looking forward to the next one.
August 7, 2013
2.5 stars Originally published at Fantasy Literature:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Firestorm is the sixth book in Taylor Anderson’s DESTROYERMEN series about the WWII navy warship USS Walker that was hurled into an alternate Earth during an electrical storm. (If you didn’t know that, you should probably stop here and go back to read the first book, Into the Storm, and the subsequent volumes before continuing on.)
In Firestorm, our heroes are spread out across the world trying to stop evil in its several guises. There are the Grik — the lizard-like horde that eats people — who seem like the most natural enemy. But then there are the “bad Japs” who also came through the storm and who were enemies back when everyone was on the “real” Earth. And there’s also the Dominion, a society of humans who adhere to a warped version of Christianity and who enslave women. The Destroyermen and their Lemurian allies are fighting on all these fronts with Walker and the ships and planes they have salvaged, captured, or built since arriving.
There are a few new twists in Firestorm. The Grik, with the help of the bad Japanese, are beginning to genetically engineer their soldiers so that they now fight smarter — not so much with the hive-mind mentality they had before. They’ve also created a surprise weapon which, for any sighted reader, turns out not to be a surprise because it’s clearly displayed in all its glory on the cover of the book. There are a couple of other minor twists involving new ships and personnel (along with news from the real world), but mostly the plot continues as it did in the previous book, Rising Tides.
In my previous reviews of the DESTROYERMEN series I’ve mentioned that it’s a lot like Robert Jordan’s WHEEL OF TIME — a slow-moving plot and a huge cast of characters spread out over an entire world. At this point in the series, this description seems even more appropriate and I think I can predict that readers who loved WOT all the way through will probably love DESTROYERMEN and vice versa. The plot does not advance very far in Firestorm (similar to some of those middle WOT books) and I almost feel like it could be skipped. Anything significant that happens will probably be recapped in the next installment, since that’s been Anderson’s habit from the beginning. However, if you just love spending time with Anderson’s amiable characters (and they are great characters), you’ll probably enjoy Firestorm more than I did.
I’m reading the DESTROYERMEN series in audio format. They’re produced by Tantor Audio and read by William Dufris. Dufris is usually a great narrator, and he is here, too, but his voices for the Lemurians can get annoying, especially in this book, since they do a lot of the talking. I wonder: if Dufris had realized that the Lemurians would be talking so much in future installments, would he have given them those voices in the beginning? Probably not.
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Firestorm is the sixth book in Taylor Anderson’s DESTROYERMEN series about the WWII navy warship USS Walker that was hurled into an alternate Earth during an electrical storm. (If you didn’t know that, you should probably stop here and go back to read the first book, Into the Storm, and the subsequent volumes before continuing on.)
In Firestorm, our heroes are spread out across the world trying to stop evil in its several guises. There are the Grik — the lizard-like horde that eats people — who seem like the most natural enemy. But then there are the “bad Japs” who also came through the storm and who were enemies back when everyone was on the “real” Earth. And there’s also the Dominion, a society of humans who adhere to a warped version of Christianity and who enslave women. The Destroyermen and their Lemurian allies are fighting on all these fronts with Walker and the ships and planes they have salvaged, captured, or built since arriving.
There are a few new twists in Firestorm. The Grik, with the help of the bad Japanese, are beginning to genetically engineer their soldiers so that they now fight smarter — not so much with the hive-mind mentality they had before. They’ve also created a surprise weapon which, for any sighted reader, turns out not to be a surprise because it’s clearly displayed in all its glory on the cover of the book. There are a couple of other minor twists involving new ships and personnel (along with news from the real world), but mostly the plot continues as it did in the previous book, Rising Tides.
In my previous reviews of the DESTROYERMEN series I’ve mentioned that it’s a lot like Robert Jordan’s WHEEL OF TIME — a slow-moving plot and a huge cast of characters spread out over an entire world. At this point in the series, this description seems even more appropriate and I think I can predict that readers who loved WOT all the way through will probably love DESTROYERMEN and vice versa. The plot does not advance very far in Firestorm (similar to some of those middle WOT books) and I almost feel like it could be skipped. Anything significant that happens will probably be recapped in the next installment, since that’s been Anderson’s habit from the beginning. However, if you just love spending time with Anderson’s amiable characters (and they are great characters), you’ll probably enjoy Firestorm more than I did.
I’m reading the DESTROYERMEN series in audio format. They’re produced by Tantor Audio and read by William Dufris. Dufris is usually a great narrator, and he is here, too, but his voices for the Lemurians can get annoying, especially in this book, since they do a lot of the talking. I wonder: if Dufris had realized that the Lemurians would be talking so much in future installments, would he have given them those voices in the beginning? Probably not.
October 22, 2011
"Firestorm: Destroyermen" USS Walker might not be a Texas Ranger, but she would do Chuck Norris Proud!
USS Walker sails full steam ahead into deeper dangers despite Dominion Doms dastardly duplicitous deeds dealing death and destruction right back into the new menace facing them, flying Grik's grimacing faces.
The alliance grows, but in doing so it needs to protect and cover expanding territory, extending its protection and spreading its forces to the breaking point.
Forces beyond control force a multi-front war into the laps of the Human Cat coalition.
The strange storms that brought Walker and her crew continue to cause transferences.
Are you Ready? Or are you Reddy? Holy Kissing cousin of circumstance, Bataan!
Either way new Japanese menaces sail the savage seas, some willing to resort to cannibalism of captives that will never get the chance to struggle through the rigors of a Death March on this new Bataan-less world.
Once exiled Japanese crewmen return leading Samurai Cats to save some from the stewpot, if only for another day to face other dangers.
Technological advances sea-saw the balance of power, changing the course of the war on both sides. The Grik's are learning, if only by attrition, that some things take more than just waves of cannon fodder, and that the meat grinders can grind exceedingly fine. Even the grist of the mill might have some value in the hands of capable leaders, who are slowly learning to respond and mold the remains into something so ultimately un-Grik-like, as to closely approximate intelligent responses to danger, including the human standby, that he who survives to fight another day might just have to run away to do it, rather than fight until death that day.
Traitors nearly cut the legs out from under New Britain's chances, much as the Dominion and the Companies perfidy launched the earlier attack on the civilians at the Dueling Grounds, which almost caused the loss of the Governors legs.
http://shadolrds.wordpress.com/
"From Whom Words Shadow Doles" /DOLE archaic: one's allotted share, portion, or destiny
USS Walker sails full steam ahead into deeper dangers despite Dominion Doms dastardly duplicitous deeds dealing death and destruction right back into the new menace facing them, flying Grik's grimacing faces.
The alliance grows, but in doing so it needs to protect and cover expanding territory, extending its protection and spreading its forces to the breaking point.
Forces beyond control force a multi-front war into the laps of the Human Cat coalition.
The strange storms that brought Walker and her crew continue to cause transferences.
Are you Ready? Or are you Reddy? Holy Kissing cousin of circumstance, Bataan!
Either way new Japanese menaces sail the savage seas, some willing to resort to cannibalism of captives that will never get the chance to struggle through the rigors of a Death March on this new Bataan-less world.
Once exiled Japanese crewmen return leading Samurai Cats to save some from the stewpot, if only for another day to face other dangers.
Technological advances sea-saw the balance of power, changing the course of the war on both sides. The Grik's are learning, if only by attrition, that some things take more than just waves of cannon fodder, and that the meat grinders can grind exceedingly fine. Even the grist of the mill might have some value in the hands of capable leaders, who are slowly learning to respond and mold the remains into something so ultimately un-Grik-like, as to closely approximate intelligent responses to danger, including the human standby, that he who survives to fight another day might just have to run away to do it, rather than fight until death that day.
Traitors nearly cut the legs out from under New Britain's chances, much as the Dominion and the Companies perfidy launched the earlier attack on the civilians at the Dueling Grounds, which almost caused the loss of the Governors legs.
http://shadolrds.wordpress.com/
"From Whom Words Shadow Doles" /DOLE archaic: one's allotted share, portion, or destiny
November 18, 2011
This has been the weakest entry of the Destroyermen series thus far. It very much feels like a running-in-place, mostly-filler addition. There was precious little plot or character advancement and the one big surprise of the book is spoiled by the cover illustration. Dunno what they were thinking. It was okay, but towards the end I was skipping most of the descriptions and really hoping for more interesting stuff. All the really good stuff happens in the last five pages.
Hopefully this slow-bubbler will set up a crack-blam action-packed story in the next volume.
I was also terrifically annoyed the rampant abuse of putting words in quotation marks. Anderson uses the technique correctly each time, but he abuses it so much that at times it became comical, with up to ten or twelve occurrences on a single page. In previous books he overused the ellipsis as a method of indicating that a character (or worse, himself as the author) was searching for the right word. I wonder if someone told him to tone that down and instead he's gone to the quotation mark as a crutch. It's a tool, and tools shouldn't be this obtrusive.
Perhaps if there were more substance to the novel, the practice wouldn't have been as objectionable.
Hopefully this slow-bubbler will set up a crack-blam action-packed story in the next volume.
I was also terrifically annoyed the rampant abuse of putting words in quotation marks. Anderson uses the technique correctly each time, but he abuses it so much that at times it became comical, with up to ten or twelve occurrences on a single page. In previous books he overused the ellipsis as a method of indicating that a character (or worse, himself as the author) was searching for the right word. I wonder if someone told him to tone that down and instead he's gone to the quotation mark as a crutch. It's a tool, and tools shouldn't be this obtrusive.
Perhaps if there were more substance to the novel, the practice wouldn't have been as objectionable.
July 6, 2017
This series, although I enjoyed it at the start, is now more a how-to manual than a story. I would prefer more worldbuilding--and no, Mr. Anderson, I don't mean more emphasis on how the Church that's developed in this alternate Earth is so bad and so horrible and is nothing like the Real Catholic Church. I swear, every mention of it is followed or preceded by one of the main characters announcing that of course, this Church is corrupt and evil! Because that's never been done in an AU, noooooo. I want more Lemurians and more integration of the humans with Lemurians. I don't want technical specs on WWII-era battleships, and I don't want more scenes from the view of the creepy sentient cannibal lizards, and I really don't want further discovery of a miraculously white civilization living amid the beasties. I think I'm done.
June 27, 2016
Not my favorite in this series--I missed the man against nature parts that have been strong in previous episodes.
April 18, 2025
Destroyermen is like a TV series that has enough staying power to last for years, even though the basic story never changes. Captain Reddy and his old WWII destroyer, arriving on an alternate Earth inhabited by sapient lemur-people and dinosaur-people, has changed the geopolitics of the world. Six books in, and we've learned that not only have previous visitors from Earth arrived here and formed new empires, but people are still coming, meaning there are several Allied and Japanese ships being yanked out of our world's ongoing Second World War and landing in this world, where some of them take sides with the Grand Alliance and some fall in with the evil Japanese-Grik empire.
Besides the Grand Alliance (the Destroyermen from Earth, the Lemurians, the descendants of a British/East-India company coalition, and an oddball assortment of "good" Grik and Japanese) and the Great Hive (the multi-continent Grik empire and the Japanese led by the insane battleship captain Kurokawa), there is also a Dominion run by a syncretic Catholic/Aztec religion ruled by torture and blood sacrifice. One breakaway group of Japanese sailors created a little mini-Lemurian/human Shogunate.
So there are a lot of factions in play now, and the story spans a growing cast of characters, both the guys who've been around since the beginning like Matthew Reddy and Dennis DaSilva, and new characters from the Empire and the Dominion. The war is taking place around the world, so we see battles and strategic planning from Africa to this world's North America and Europe and Australia and Asia. There are chapters from the POV of the Destroyermen and their allies, and from the POV of the Japanese and the Grik.
This is basically a continuation of the last five books, and it will be continued in the next. Taylor Anderson is writing a somewhat formulaic story; a few things change and a few characters die and the war progresses (each side is now starting to tech up, which puts more pressure on the Alliance since their main advantage against the numerically superior Grik has always been superior technology and planning) but you could drop into any book in the series and see the same familiar characters doing roughly the same thing.
This is not a bad thing if you enjoy war stories, and I'd call Destroyermen comfort reading for when you just want a war yarn. Part of what makes it comfort reading is that the lines are sharply drawn; there is a level of righteousness in the good guys that makes it clear they are the "good guys." More personality has been added to the Grik; they are no longer just mindless murderous hordes. And we've likewise gotten to know some Japanese, even on the enemy side, who are sympathetic. So it's not entirely black and white. But we can always be sure that Captain Matthew Reddy will live up to the glorious ideal of a red-blooded American naval officer, his sailors will follow him to hell, the Lemurians remain fierce, friendly, funny, and loyal, and the good guys will always do the right thing and win in the end. It's like a fantasy World War II with greatly reduced moral complexity. The lack of cynicism and playing everything straight is actually kind of refreshing if you're sick of books that always have deconstruct everything good and noble.
I'm not saying this is great literature, and I'm also not saying it's a children's good-vs-evil story. It's just fun and familiar and while at first I was getting kind of tired of book after book just continuing the story, now I am in for the long haul. I'd kind of like to see an end eventually, but I know what I'm getting with a Destroyermen book; a big helping of escapism and adventure.
Besides the Grand Alliance (the Destroyermen from Earth, the Lemurians, the descendants of a British/East-India company coalition, and an oddball assortment of "good" Grik and Japanese) and the Great Hive (the multi-continent Grik empire and the Japanese led by the insane battleship captain Kurokawa), there is also a Dominion run by a syncretic Catholic/Aztec religion ruled by torture and blood sacrifice. One breakaway group of Japanese sailors created a little mini-Lemurian/human Shogunate.
So there are a lot of factions in play now, and the story spans a growing cast of characters, both the guys who've been around since the beginning like Matthew Reddy and Dennis DaSilva, and new characters from the Empire and the Dominion. The war is taking place around the world, so we see battles and strategic planning from Africa to this world's North America and Europe and Australia and Asia. There are chapters from the POV of the Destroyermen and their allies, and from the POV of the Japanese and the Grik.
This is basically a continuation of the last five books, and it will be continued in the next. Taylor Anderson is writing a somewhat formulaic story; a few things change and a few characters die and the war progresses (each side is now starting to tech up, which puts more pressure on the Alliance since their main advantage against the numerically superior Grik has always been superior technology and planning) but you could drop into any book in the series and see the same familiar characters doing roughly the same thing.
This is not a bad thing if you enjoy war stories, and I'd call Destroyermen comfort reading for when you just want a war yarn. Part of what makes it comfort reading is that the lines are sharply drawn; there is a level of righteousness in the good guys that makes it clear they are the "good guys." More personality has been added to the Grik; they are no longer just mindless murderous hordes. And we've likewise gotten to know some Japanese, even on the enemy side, who are sympathetic. So it's not entirely black and white. But we can always be sure that Captain Matthew Reddy will live up to the glorious ideal of a red-blooded American naval officer, his sailors will follow him to hell, the Lemurians remain fierce, friendly, funny, and loyal, and the good guys will always do the right thing and win in the end. It's like a fantasy World War II with greatly reduced moral complexity. The lack of cynicism and playing everything straight is actually kind of refreshing if you're sick of books that always have deconstruct everything good and noble.
I'm not saying this is great literature, and I'm also not saying it's a children's good-vs-evil story. It's just fun and familiar and while at first I was getting kind of tired of book after book just continuing the story, now I am in for the long haul. I'd kind of like to see an end eventually, but I know what I'm getting with a Destroyermen book; a big helping of escapism and adventure.
January 20, 2016
Sixth in the Destroyermen military science-fiction series. In our Earth, it's the start of World War II and ships from both sides occasionally go missing in action. What both sides don't know is that not all their ships are destroyed. Some pass through a squall into another world, a parallel Earth where humans are not the dominant species.
My Take
It's a terrifying read what with the Grik attempting new ideas, the Japanese commander helping them to recreate his technology, and the treachery of the Dominion. I knew that the only way I could start this book was if I planned to finish it all in one go. The tension would be too great! And, I was right. From the first page, my heart was pounding as I worried right along with the members of the Alliance.
After Rising Tides , 5, too many battlefronts were added. Even worse, the Grik are beginning to realize that their way just isn't winning any battles.
There was an interesting comment Anderson made about Orrin Reddy being "fascinated by this bizarre 'Oz' he'd found himself in". When you think about it, that's exactly how it feels. Fantastical beasts. Formidable challenges. Terrifying cultures. And, always, human greed and hunger for power.
The Story
The attempted assassination by the Dominion has forced additional fronts to the war. Bad enough when the Alliance had to fight the Grik and its hordes. It was like fighting mindless animals. Those who make up the fanatical Dominion are humans making it a lot more difficult to tell friend from foe in the New Britain Isles.
The original front is the existing blockade between Grik-held Ceylon and the Grik homeland. Commander Greg Garret is holding the line with his small fleet but then the newly-promoted General Halik comes up with a new strategy to break that blockade and Task Force Garret's destruction speeds up the Alliance's plans to invade Ceylon; they must rescue the survivors.
A second front is recapturing New Ireland from the Dominion while a third front is the west coast of what we remember as California. The empire has colonies along that coast that must be warned and protected from the Dominion and their Company allies which requires yet another Task Force, this one headed up by the USS Walker. Both will be much more impossible when traitors prowl the seas.
Then, just to make things complicated, a rogue Japanese appalled by the Grik but wary of the Americans, Commander Okada, appears with a sinking battle cruiser, the Mizuki Maru. Seems there's another Japanese battle cruiser, the Hidoiame, that recently came through a squall. The Hidoiame attacked a village under Okada's protection but lost some of their own prisoners, Americans which included Matthew's cousin who brought news of the turning point of the war in the Pacific. Unfortunately, these Japanese crewmen are so angry over their losses in that other world that they have become more Grik-like than human. And the Hidoiame is a complication the Alliance cannot afford.
The Characters
The surviving American crew members entered into an alliance with the Lemurians, a cat-like people, in the beginning story, Into the Storm , 1. Together they have fought the Grik and pushed them back. Together they have repaired the ships of either side. Created technological innovations and recreated necessary tools and supplies to maintain the USS Walker and other ships they capture or discover.
Some of the equipment and weapons the Alliance has managed to resurrect includes PB-2s, P-40s, batteries, smelters, welding equipment, oil refining, wireless communication, casting cannon, rifling gun barrels — talk about a recycling project!
Alliance Forces include…
…Captain Matthew Reddy of the USS Walker is also the Commander in Chief of All Allied Forces. Lieutenant Sandra Tucker, one of the surviving nurses from our Earth, is now the Minister of Medicine and she and Reddy have finally become engaged.
The Lemurians are…
…divided into Clans with each having its own ruler. The Clans themselves are divided into land-based and water-dwelling with each referring to their home base as Home. Sor-Lomaak is Chief of Body of Home, the ship Salaama-Na. Admiral Keje. An important character is Major Chack-Sab-At. A former peaceful Wingrunner for his Home, Chack trained hard to become a Marine to fight for his people. Adar is High Chief and Sky Priest of Baalkpan, the first Lemurian land base encountered by the USS Walker, and Chairman of the Grand Alliance. He became High Chief when the Great Nakja-Mur was killed during fighting. Baalkpan is the major shipyard for the Lemurians and the Americans and where most of the innovative manufacturing is accomplished and the planes are built.
Most of the Japanese ships swept into this world allied with the Grik; however, a few were appalled at Grik customs and went over to the Americans, like Colonel Tamatsu Shinya. Then there's Lawrence, a Grik-like Tagranesi, whose people were saved by the Americans.
The Empire of the New British Isles is…
…based in what we consider Hawaii. The people sprang from East India Trading Company ships lost centuries ago through their own squalls. Their government evolved into a mixture of ruler and the Company. The ruler is Gerald MacDonald, the General-Emperor of the Empire of the New British Isles. Commodore Harvey Jenks is an Imperial officer who represents the Governor-Emperor out on the seas. He first encountered Captain Reddy in Distant Thunders , 4.
There are really too many crewmen — Lemurians, Americans, and Imperials — to list. Suffice it to say that the Lemurians and the Americans have integrated very well absorbing each others' cultures. The Imperials have further to go. Admittedly, they have only recently become aware of the Lemurians; they are also incredibly hidebound as to their own superiority.
The Grik are…
…the dominant species on this alternate Earth. A lizard-like being split into three classes: labor which is not capable of independent thought, Hij which may go either up or down in class; and the ruling class which does think except that they've been dominant with no battle losses for so long that they've forgotten how to think. They have only one use for prisoners. As food. When one of their own dies, he is food. Growing up means survive or become food. The Grik as a whole see others as prey or not prey. Prey is eaten. A Grik soldier who runs in battle becomes prey. Celestial Mother is the title for the Grik ruler. Regent Tsalka and General Esshk are two of the highest personnel in their empire.
General Halik is one of the innovations being tried by the Grik. Similar to a gladiator, his class of fighter would normally be butchered for the stew pot at his age, but the intelligence he displayed was far above his normal class. And the Grik must start thinking more.
The Japanese allies to the Grik include…
…General Orochi Niwa, one of the crewmen of the Amagi and is now an advisor to Halik in Ceylon. General of the Sea Hisashi Kurokawa, formerly the captain of the Amagi, a Japanese Imperial battle cruiser, has thrown in with the Grik.
The Cover and Title
It's all oranges and shades of gray with dirigibles attacking battleships although I did not get the impression that any one dirigible had that many bombs to let loose!
The title should probably be plural because, oh man, there was a lot more than just one Firestorm hitting combatants.
My Take
It's a terrifying read what with the Grik attempting new ideas, the Japanese commander helping them to recreate his technology, and the treachery of the Dominion. I knew that the only way I could start this book was if I planned to finish it all in one go. The tension would be too great! And, I was right. From the first page, my heart was pounding as I worried right along with the members of the Alliance.
After Rising Tides , 5, too many battlefronts were added. Even worse, the Grik are beginning to realize that their way just isn't winning any battles.
There was an interesting comment Anderson made about Orrin Reddy being "fascinated by this bizarre 'Oz' he'd found himself in". When you think about it, that's exactly how it feels. Fantastical beasts. Formidable challenges. Terrifying cultures. And, always, human greed and hunger for power.
The Story
The attempted assassination by the Dominion has forced additional fronts to the war. Bad enough when the Alliance had to fight the Grik and its hordes. It was like fighting mindless animals. Those who make up the fanatical Dominion are humans making it a lot more difficult to tell friend from foe in the New Britain Isles.
The original front is the existing blockade between Grik-held Ceylon and the Grik homeland. Commander Greg Garret is holding the line with his small fleet but then the newly-promoted General Halik comes up with a new strategy to break that blockade and Task Force Garret's destruction speeds up the Alliance's plans to invade Ceylon; they must rescue the survivors.
A second front is recapturing New Ireland from the Dominion while a third front is the west coast of what we remember as California. The empire has colonies along that coast that must be warned and protected from the Dominion and their Company allies which requires yet another Task Force, this one headed up by the USS Walker. Both will be much more impossible when traitors prowl the seas.
Then, just to make things complicated, a rogue Japanese appalled by the Grik but wary of the Americans, Commander Okada, appears with a sinking battle cruiser, the Mizuki Maru. Seems there's another Japanese battle cruiser, the Hidoiame, that recently came through a squall. The Hidoiame attacked a village under Okada's protection but lost some of their own prisoners, Americans which included Matthew's cousin who brought news of the turning point of the war in the Pacific. Unfortunately, these Japanese crewmen are so angry over their losses in that other world that they have become more Grik-like than human. And the Hidoiame is a complication the Alliance cannot afford.
The Characters
The surviving American crew members entered into an alliance with the Lemurians, a cat-like people, in the beginning story, Into the Storm , 1. Together they have fought the Grik and pushed them back. Together they have repaired the ships of either side. Created technological innovations and recreated necessary tools and supplies to maintain the USS Walker and other ships they capture or discover.
Some of the equipment and weapons the Alliance has managed to resurrect includes PB-2s, P-40s, batteries, smelters, welding equipment, oil refining, wireless communication, casting cannon, rifling gun barrels — talk about a recycling project!
Alliance Forces include…
…Captain Matthew Reddy of the USS Walker is also the Commander in Chief of All Allied Forces. Lieutenant Sandra Tucker, one of the surviving nurses from our Earth, is now the Minister of Medicine and she and Reddy have finally become engaged.
The Lemurians are…
…divided into Clans with each having its own ruler. The Clans themselves are divided into land-based and water-dwelling with each referring to their home base as Home. Sor-Lomaak is Chief of Body of Home, the ship Salaama-Na. Admiral Keje. An important character is Major Chack-Sab-At. A former peaceful Wingrunner for his Home, Chack trained hard to become a Marine to fight for his people. Adar is High Chief and Sky Priest of Baalkpan, the first Lemurian land base encountered by the USS Walker, and Chairman of the Grand Alliance. He became High Chief when the Great Nakja-Mur was killed during fighting. Baalkpan is the major shipyard for the Lemurians and the Americans and where most of the innovative manufacturing is accomplished and the planes are built.
Most of the Japanese ships swept into this world allied with the Grik; however, a few were appalled at Grik customs and went over to the Americans, like Colonel Tamatsu Shinya. Then there's Lawrence, a Grik-like Tagranesi, whose people were saved by the Americans.
The Empire of the New British Isles is…
…based in what we consider Hawaii. The people sprang from East India Trading Company ships lost centuries ago through their own squalls. Their government evolved into a mixture of ruler and the Company. The ruler is Gerald MacDonald, the General-Emperor of the Empire of the New British Isles. Commodore Harvey Jenks is an Imperial officer who represents the Governor-Emperor out on the seas. He first encountered Captain Reddy in Distant Thunders , 4.
There are really too many crewmen — Lemurians, Americans, and Imperials — to list. Suffice it to say that the Lemurians and the Americans have integrated very well absorbing each others' cultures. The Imperials have further to go. Admittedly, they have only recently become aware of the Lemurians; they are also incredibly hidebound as to their own superiority.
The Grik are…
…the dominant species on this alternate Earth. A lizard-like being split into three classes: labor which is not capable of independent thought, Hij which may go either up or down in class; and the ruling class which does think except that they've been dominant with no battle losses for so long that they've forgotten how to think. They have only one use for prisoners. As food. When one of their own dies, he is food. Growing up means survive or become food. The Grik as a whole see others as prey or not prey. Prey is eaten. A Grik soldier who runs in battle becomes prey. Celestial Mother is the title for the Grik ruler. Regent Tsalka and General Esshk are two of the highest personnel in their empire.
General Halik is one of the innovations being tried by the Grik. Similar to a gladiator, his class of fighter would normally be butchered for the stew pot at his age, but the intelligence he displayed was far above his normal class. And the Grik must start thinking more.
The Japanese allies to the Grik include…
…General Orochi Niwa, one of the crewmen of the Amagi and is now an advisor to Halik in Ceylon. General of the Sea Hisashi Kurokawa, formerly the captain of the Amagi, a Japanese Imperial battle cruiser, has thrown in with the Grik.
The Cover and Title
It's all oranges and shades of gray with dirigibles attacking battleships although I did not get the impression that any one dirigible had that many bombs to let loose!
The title should probably be plural because, oh man, there was a lot more than just one Firestorm hitting combatants.
July 26, 2018
Some good story development on both sides of the conflict. Although I agree the Grik need to have depth to their character I still prefer to to read more about the American Alliance and especially the Lemurians. It’s crazy how fond you get for those little fur balls. The book made me laugh, grit my teeth, cringe, and even get a little teary-eyed. Some parts definitely made me mad but I expect they’re suppose to. The epilogue definitely made me say, “oh crap!”. New players are possibly about to enter the conflict. Defiantly worried about a couple of characters. Some of the appearances of new humans in this world is worked pretty well. One seemed a little.. “Really?” But it did work. The crazy way the Britain’s that came before the main characters set up an indentured system for women to be owned was crazy but I’m glad to see Mat Reddy put a stop to it as quick as possible. Great series so far!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2024
Firestorm is the sixth volume in the ongoing saga of the WWII Pacific destroyer transported to an alternate earth. I highly recommend reading this book in order of publication due to the author building upon the story in the previous volume and leaving the book with several cliff ending details that made me immediately pick up volume 7 to try to find out what happens with the story. The author continues to bring ships and characters from our earth to the new world and has allowed the characters new dangers to be discovered on this different world. I enjoy military history and the author has allowed elements of land warfare, naval warfare, and aviation warfare to exist in his book. The author has written a book filled with lots of action and adventures with characters that I enjoy reading about. Get the first book Into the Storm and join the series if you enjoy sci-fi-military fiction.
October 9, 2018
Like other parts in this series, it continues the adventure of Walker's crew, adds some more twists, fights a new enemy, overcomes another surprise, and somehow makes through. It's not the outcome but how that outcome was achieved, in addition to author's imagination, that keeps me reading more in this series. This novel had it's ups and downs - diplomacy was glossed over, but logistics problem was well brought out; tolerance of some characters is less understandable, while some new characters are quite interesting.. and so on.
Going to read the next book.
Going to read the next book.
August 11, 2019
Another typical book in this series. Some really good parts, some kind of slow and often an odd way to show how conflicts end. And again, while most of the conflicts that were established in the beginning of the book were resolved, right at the end of the book the author throws out new problems that will be carried over to the next book. So for me instead of feeling like I finished a book it was more like I'm in the middle of a longer book - only I have to buy the next one to find out what happened.
July 26, 2023
Unfortunately am loosing interest in the series, there are too many characters, too many rank changes, too many ship names, too much going on in too many locations, making it getting harder to keep track.
One of the big surprises in the book is spoilt by the cover giving it away.
As whole the book is ok, but it feels the series is going on and on with nothing really getting resolved very quickly.
One of the big surprises in the book is spoilt by the cover giving it away.
As whole the book is ok, but it feels the series is going on and on with nothing really getting resolved very quickly.
October 19, 2018
Continued mayhems mayhem and war on a cruel world I another dimension.
This is a war story written by a very knowledgeable author right down to the detail. Society of the 1940’s changes radically especially with the ascension of woman’s roles reflected in their acceptance as equals to me
This is a war story written by a very knowledgeable author right down to the detail. Society of the 1940’s changes radically especially with the ascension of woman’s roles reflected in their acceptance as equals to me
October 21, 2019
A great read! Good character development, great story, keeps you involved throughout.
A couple of issues, tho. Too many characters and too much bouncing around between characters and areas. And, for me at least, the maps are awful! Most places in the story aren’t shown on the maps which makes it difficult to follow.
A couple of issues, tho. Too many characters and too much bouncing around between characters and areas. And, for me at least, the maps are awful! Most places in the story aren’t shown on the maps which makes it difficult to follow.
January 25, 2024
4.5 stars
An exciting story from start to finish in the expanding alternative world. The battles are enjoyable (if possible) and fast paced and the stakes are getting higher and higher. I also enjoy the story of the technological development of this new society and its enemies. This series is not slowing down.
An exciting story from start to finish in the expanding alternative world. The battles are enjoyable (if possible) and fast paced and the stakes are getting higher and higher. I also enjoy the story of the technological development of this new society and its enemies. This series is not slowing down.
August 16, 2018
More and more interesting
The world of the Grik just keeps getting more and more interesting. These books are an enjoyable read and quite fun. Sometimes it drags, but it will soon pick up.
The world of the Grik just keeps getting more and more interesting. These books are an enjoyable read and quite fun. Sometimes it drags, but it will soon pick up.
November 13, 2018
The series continues to move forward at a good pace while wrapping up certain plot lines and opening new ones. Certain things are more interesting than others and there were a couple nice surprises and some not so nice surprises that make for good tension. On to the next.
December 12, 2018
This has a whole lot more action than the last book. Here we have surface action (both land and sea) as well as in the air. The cover art gives away one of the surprises, so there's that. But I tore through this installment as fast I could (and as work allowed).
February 23, 2020
3 stars. These books are all well written, but I think I've lost interest. Seems like the author is just pointlessly keeping the series going by adding new enemies and new transported people from our Earth but otherwise telling the same basic story.
July 8, 2022
3.5/5 As the scope of the plot expands it’s harder to keep track of the growing cast and what’s happening in which locations. The epilogue sets up some really interesting plot lines for the future books though.
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